School Board Meeting September 7, 2022

School Board accused by public officials of being “a threat to democracy.”

I don’t normally cover School Board meetings; however, I was tipped off by a subscriber that at the September 7 School Board meeting there were particularly newsworthy events. The drama starts at the 3:00 minute mark on the video, beginning with Budget Committee member Tom Butkiewicz addressing the School Board. Near the beginning of his presentation he is told that the board cannot answer questions for him on the spot, as no individual on the board is authorized to speak for the board. The board will consider his questions and respond later.

Tom Butkiewicz expressed surprise that the board was failing to enforce 2022 Warrant Article #24 requiring public access to collective bargaining negotiations. He proclaimed that “this is a completely legal warrant article to make these negotiation meetings open to the public.” [Note: prior to the election the town’s lawyer declared that this warrant article was illegal and unenforceable.] He then accused the School Board, saying that “in Nottingham … it is the Democrat-controlled School Board that is denying the results of a free and fair election. You are the ones that are a threat to democracy in this town.

Another Budget Committee member, Michael Kelley, then addressed the board, saying that he “would like to reiterate what Tom said.” He went on to present some data, saying “Nottingham is a pretty wealthy town as New Hampshire towns go. The median household income in Nottingham is $95,000.” “Some of our teachers’ salaries and benefits are above $120,000.” “We have one teacher working nine to ten months a year making more than a family does working overtime twelve months of the year.” “When you compare the average individual in Nottingham, working twelve months a year, is bringing home about $60,000, and we have some teachers bringing home over $120,000, there’s a little bit of a short-circuit there.”

Michael Kelley then brought up 2022 Warrant Article #26, which limits Nottingham’s Budget Committee from recommending a budget that increases spending by more than 4% over the amount of taxes raised the prior year, based on RSA 32:5-b. It was his understanding that this warrant article applied to the School Board’s budget, but that he had heard that the board that it did not think it applied to the school budget. He requested that the School Board issue a statement on this.

Tom Butkiewicz again addressed the board, “if you don’t want to go along with what the voters asked for in Warrant Article #24, I am wondering what the next step is. How do we get you to do what the voters in this town want? Do I have to go learn how to do a temporary injunction? Do I have to go to the county courthouse? What is it going to take to get the transparency that the voters demand? I went through a lot of effort to get this warrant article together…. It has gone nowhere apparently.”

Watch the video: